Near Death
by ItsTotti
Summary: Riley is an ordinary girl with a boring life. Until one day she somehow gets herself involved with a big murder case. She is forced to help with the investigation in order to prove her innocence, and that means working with some strange people. L, Near, Mello and Matt are the team of detectives working on the case and Riley must somehow manage to work with them to solve it.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks Kuro111 for your review, it really helped me and I thought that your idea was great! So much so that I have decided to add a little bit in especially for you! I know its only short but I hope that this is something like what you were thinking!

Chapter 1-

My name is Riley Edwards. I'm 18 years old and I live with my mother, stepfather and stepbrother. Im not happy though. My mother was a cheat when she was with my dad, but that was a long time ago. My brother hates me because of it though, he thinks im just like her. Luckily though, I get on with my stepdad, I even call him dad now. But the doctors are worried about him, I can't say that I'm not either.

Despite this, I live on. I try to keep myself to myself and I work hard to make a good life for myself. I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life, but it just so happened that I didn't need to.

I was sat staring at the white walls of the hospital, feeling like I might go crazy, when I heard footsteps. Dismissing them as yet another doctors I continued tapping my foot nervously and twiddling my fingers. 'Yes yes, just tell me the amount!' I heard my mum say aggressively. Huh? I stopped my foot tapping for a moment to listen.

'Look. Just tell me how much his life insurance is worth!' I heard my mum say impatiently. Life insurance? She couldn't be talking about my dad? Could she?

I stood up, unable to listen to anymore. I shouldn't question my mum. I mean, she really loves dad. He's the one. She wouldn't have married him if not. Right?

I walked down the unbearably clean hallway, my shoes squeaking with every step, and stopped outside the door to my dads room. I looked in at him, lying on his bed as though death himself were visiting. My mum had to love him. I did.

I decided to forget it and just trust my mum. With one last look at my dad I hoped to god that he would get better soon, I missed his merry chatter.

I hurried down the stairs whilst throwing my bag over my shoulder. 'im going out!' I yelled to no-one in particular. Nobody ever replied.

'where?' I heard my brother ask suspiciously. I noticed that he was stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up at me. He ran his fingers through his brown hair impatiently. 'well?' he asked when I didn't answer.

'just to a coffee shop in town to meet a friend.' I said. Seth turned around and started to walk away as he said ' I'll take you there.'

'huh?' my brother wasn't the type of person to do good deeds for no reason, or be nice to me for that matter. I hurried to catch up with him.

'why?' I asked. He shrugged and got into his car. I was confused but I didn't object, I was late.

We set off in silence, and this continued for a while, the car's engine the only sound. 'who are you meeting?' Seth asked.

'uhm, an old friend.' I replied cautiously. This was to weird, I had to tread carefully.

'a boyfriend then?' he asked. I shook my head. Seth nodded in acknowledgement but said no more. The rest of the journey was in awkward silence.

We pulled into a little carpark near the centre of town. 'is this okay?' seth asked. I nodded. 'yeah. Thanks.' And got out of the car. The car sped off the moment I shut the door. Okay then…

I found my way to the café, which wasn't far away, and began to search for Sam, my old friend. I spotted him at the other side of the café in a booth.

'hey!' I said as I sat down across from him. He looked up at me and smiled. It had been a while since I'd last seen him but he'd barely changed. Same spikey silver hair and unusually grey eyes.

'you're all grown up!' he laughed.

'I guess that happens!' I agreed. He offered me a biscuit and I happily accepted.

'so hows everything been with the new family? He asked. I shrugged, it wasn't exactly a happy story and I doubted he wanted to hear about my problems.

'That bad huh?' he smiled a little then looked at me seriously 'Whats wrong?' I grimaced and looked down at the table. I looked up a few moments later but he was still looking at me worriedly.

'Just my brother.' I shrugged again. Its not like it's a big deal.

'What about him?' sam asked. He knew me too well, he could tell something was wrong.

'He hates me.' I said. At this sams eyes narrowed. I looked away from him, wishing that he wasn't so observant.

'Why?' he asked. I began fiddling my fingers nervously, I wasn't expecting this at our first meeting in a year. I swallowed hard and looked at him.

'He thinks im just like my mum.' I said. I could feel tears in my eyes but I blinked them away, I hated how easily I got upset. Sam smiled sadly at me. Could this get any worse?

'Hes wrong. You're nothing like her.' He said seriously. I smiled at him. 'thanks.' I said.

'I'll go get you a coffee!' sam said as he got up 'Same as usual?' I nodded and he left the table. Well that was intense. I know that sams a very straightforward person but jesus!

A few minutes later he came back with my coffee and I took a big sip of the warm brown liquid inside. Sam suddenly began to laugh. 'What're you laughing at?' I asked.

'You! You always pull that face when you drink something hot! I guess some things never change!' he replied.

'What face?' I asked. I wasn't doing anything to my knowledge.

'You know..' he said and he pulled a strange face. Then I began laughing.

'What on earth…?' I laughed. He joined me and nearly choked on his coffee.

'You do it all the time!' he said, pointing his finger at me. I shooke my head vigorously.

'No I don't! I drink my coffee like a lady!' I smiled and stuck my pinky finger out. It was just like when we were kids, laughing and joking about silly things. It felt like everything was so serious back at home. I really missed this.

'Yeah yeah!' he said, rolling his eyes 'So what do you do now? Or do you not work? Being the daughter of a huge business mogul.'

'Well im looking for work at the moment. But I spend a lot of my time looking after my dad.' I said 'What about you? Last I heard you were training for the army!'

'I'm with the police now.' Sam answered. I nodded interestedly. 'What sort of work do you do?' I asked. This was starting to get interesting…

'Aah, im afraid I can't say…sorry.' He replied. Okay…

'Well that sounds…interesting?' I laughed, trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere that had just appeared.

'No I know! Its okay! That wasn't very helpful, im sorry.' He said, waving one hand in the air.

'Well im sure that it must be important then! I wish I had something I was good at!' I smiled at Sam.

'You do! You're an amazing friend!' he replied with a wink.

'Talk about cheesy!' I burst out laughing and he joined in. when our giggle fit subsided Sam checked his phone and his face crinkled up. 'Everything okay?' I asked.

Sam grimaced. 'Not really, work want me.' He said still staring at the phone.

'Go! We've already established that it's gotta be important!' I urged him, quickly swallowing my coffee.

'Are you sure?' he asked uncertainly, finally looking up at me. I nodded and he quickly stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he did so. 'Thanks! And again, im sorry! I hope we can do this again sometime!' Sam said as he quickly hugged me goodbye.

'Definitely.' I nodded, and he swiftly left. Well. That was strange. I looked down into my coffee cup at the swirling liquid. I wonder what sam does with the police…?

I sat for a little while finishing my coffee, watching people as they passed by the big glass window. I found myself feeling very lonely. Sam was the only friend I had anymore. I barely left the house and my family was never around. Now that I knew he had moved on just like all of my other old friends, I was completely alone and I didn't like it.

Starting to feel miserable I got up, grabbed my back and left the coffee shop. with nothing to do I began to aimlessly wander the streets, perhaps looking for a way to feel less alone.

As I turned a corner a man ran into me and fell to the floor. I reached out a hand to help him up but he ignored it and sprinted away. It took a moment for me to realise that I knew that man. He was my boss at my last job at a bookstore.

I stood still at the end of the street, staring after my old boss, confused. What on earth…?

A few moments later two men in black suits ran up to me. I looked at them quizzically and found myself unable to speak.

'Madam, I'm going to have to ask you to come with us.' One of the men said. They were both tall and intimidating looking. 'Wha..?' I mumbled as they grabbed my arms and gently pushed me into a black car that I hadn't even noticed pulling up beside us.

'We just have a few questions we would like to ask you.' One of the men said as he got into the seat beside me. It all happened so fast that I had no time to protest. Before I knew it we were speeding away headed to god knows where.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm going to try and update weekly, hopefully every Sunday!

Chapter 2-

I didn't know what to think as the car silently took us to our destination. I was scared but above all I was confused. I couldn't think what was happening or why, businessmen maybe?

'who are you and where are we going?' I asked. No-one made any notion to even indicate that they had heard me so I asked again. Still no reply.

'you know this is a criminal offense right?' I said, resigning to the fact that I wouldn't be able to get any information out of these men. Again they ignored me.

After a short while we arrived. Where, I didn't know, but the car stopped. Wordlessly the two men got out of the car in sync, the one that had sat next to me then stood by the door as if to say 'get out'.

I sighed and complied. I heard gravel crunch beneath my feet as I got out and looked up to see a rather old looking house. It looked wooden and well loved, like something a grandmother would own.

I looked around and noticed that we were in a forest with tall pines towering above us. So much for legging it. With no other choice, I followed the men in suits as they walked towards the house.

The first man leaned in towards the door and whispered something. He then looked into a camera which shone a red light onto his eyeball. What was this, some sort of a spy movie?

I heard a click and the door opened. The first man entered and the second ushered me in from behind. I followed the man down a long hallway to an ominous black door.

Both men stood on either side of the door and looked at me expectantly. Oh dear god, they wanted me to go in there. Nothing good could come out of a door that creepy looking.

I took in a deep breath and pushed open the door. Inside the room was nothing but an old wooden table with a laptop on top of it. I walked over to inspect it.

The laptop was open and turned on, the screen displayed a large letter 'N' in intricate writing. I heard the door close loudly behind me and jumped at the sound in the silence.

'Hello.' Someone said. I looked around to find the person talking but saw no-one else in the room. It was empty. 'Riley Edwards isn't it?' the voice asked.

It was then that I realised that the voice was coming from the laptop. 'Uh, yeah.' I mumbled, slightly confused.

'My name Is Near and you, Riley Edwards, are a suspect in a murder case.' The voice said. I felt my eyes bulge and my head begin to swim.

'WHAT?' I blurted out. I tried to ask what was going on but I just couldn't make any words come out.

'Someone was murdered earlier today and a man was found at the scene of the crime. We have reason to believe that you are in connection with this man.' The voice explained calmly as if they knew what I wanted to say.

'I don't know anyone that would murder someone!' I exclaimed. In fact, I hardly knew anyone at all. I hadn't been living in the area for long, only since my mum remarried. Since then I had become a bit of an introvert, preferring my own company to that of the rich and repulsive.

'Of course not.' The voice said patronisingly 'However we also have video footage to suggest that you are in connection with this man.'

At that moment the N on the screen disappeared and a view of a street appeared. I noticed a commotion at the edge of the screen and a man ran down the street manically. The man came to the corner and bumped into someone, falling to the floor. He seemed to recognise the person, then scrambled up and sprinted away.

It took a moment for me to realise that the person the man had bumped into was me. 'Wha..? That's me!' I mumbled, before realising just how stupid I sounded.

'Yes. So do you know that man?' the voice asked.

'Yeah. He used to be my boss at a bookstore I worked at 6 months ago. Wait. He didn't kill someone did he?' I said.

'We have sufficient evidence to prove his connection to the murder, yes.' The voice said calmly. How could this person be so calm at a time like this?

'What? Well, I haven't spoken to him in long time! We were never close! I don't have anything to do with this! So you can just let me go!' I begged. I didn't know where I was and it was honestly starting to scare me.

'Im afraid I cant. You see there is no way to prove your innocence, therefore if I were to let you go, and you really were connected to this, you could just disappear.' The voice said.

'But im not! And you cant keep me here! Its against the law!' I said, starting to panic. Who wee these people? They couldn't be the police, they practically kidnapped me.

'You're clever.' The voice said 'You've studied law and even spent time working in a police station.' How did he know?

'Hmm…' the voice seemed to deliberate for a moment 'I have an idea. If you agree to aid the police with this case, we'll release you.'

'What!? I couldn't help you! And that's blackmail! You cant do that!' I yelled.

'If you really do know this man, you could help to provide us with vital information. And as for blackmail, I prefer to think of it as mutual benefits.' The voice replied, unfazed.

I didn't know what to say to that. I contemplated running for a moment but like the voice had said, I was clever, and I knew that a stunt like that would get me nowhere.

'Okay.' I said at last. I didn't really have a choice, and if it was a murder case that I could help with, I wanted to. I'd done an apprenticeship with a policewoman a while ago and even though about pursuing it as a career, but the remarriage had changed that. Maybe it would be nice to do a little police work again?

'Good. When you leave the room one of our men will hand you an envelope. Don't let anyone know you have it. Open it in private, and follow the instructions directly.' The voice concluded, and the screen went blank.

I stood still for a moment, slightly shocked, then turned and exited the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-

When i arrived at my house I turned to watch the car silently glide away as walked down my drive. I walked in feeling suddenly tired and slumped onto the sofa.

I pulled out the letter and carefully opened it 'Get back your job at the book store.' And that was it. I double checked for any hidden messages like in the spy movies but, much to my disappointment, couldn't find any.

I sighed, pulled myself up and went to find my phone. I found the number I was looking for and called it. 'Hello? Book House here, how can I help you?' I heard my old boss answer after a short while.

'Uh- hi! Its Riley, I used to work for you a few months ago? I was just wondering if you had any jobs going?' I asked. I felt nervous. I had spoken to this man a million times, but now he was a suspect in a murder case. He could be dangerous! But then, he could be in the same position as me.

'Oh! Riley! Hi! Long time no speak! Actually, I have been struggling a bit since you left! Drop by tomorrow evening if you can?' he said.

'Yeah. Sure.' I replied 'Thanks!'

'No problem! It'll be good to have a helping hand again!' we said our goodbyes and hung up.

The phone call got me thinking about my old boss. I didn't think he could be a murderer, but then I didn't know much about name was Reiji, he was in his thirties and had been single the entire time I'd known him. He was your stereotypical geek. There was nothing out of the ordinary about him, so why would he kill someone?

I decided that it must have been an unfortunate coincidence that he was found at the scene of the crime, much like it was for me. I resolved to do this to prove both of us innocent.

I heard a knock on my door and put away the letter that I had been given yesterday. 'Come in!' I called.

The door opened and my brother walked in. I noticed that he had bed head and it made me smile. 'Good morning.' He said, nodding at me.

'Yeah, you too!' I smiled at him. This was unusual, Seth never came to my room. I was stood in front of a chest of drawers that I was hiding the letter in, and probably looked a bit odd, smiling at my brother like an idiot with something to hide.

'Riley, you know how work sometimes means that I have to attend certain functions?' he asked. I noticed that he was talking even more formally than normal, but decided to ignore it. I nodded.

'Well, theres a big party with an important business coming up soon, and I require someone to accompany me.' Seth said 'Since Laura is no longer an option I was wondering if you would please come with me.'

Laura was Seth's ex-girlfriend, they split up a week ago, even though everyone had thought they would marry. Seth hadn't spoken about it, so I presumed it was still a sensitive matter. I felt bad for him, Laura had been nearly the only form of relaxation for my brother in his busy schedule, and now she was gone he had thrown himself into work.

'Uh- Are you sure you want me?' I asked, remembering the time he had told me I had the elegance of an elephant on stilts.

'I wouldn't have asked otherwise.' He replied curtly, not looking me in the eye. I wondered if he was embarrassed?

'Okay then!' I said, smiling. Seth might hate me, but I didn't hate him. He was a good guy, despite being a workaholic, and I had always wanted him to think of me as a sister.

'Thank you.' Seth replied as though we'd just signed a formal contract. He nodded vaguely in my direction and left without looking up. He was cute when he was embarrassed.

Driving towards town in my little car made me feel somewhat strange. It was unusually calm and I was feeling positive. Despite the recent events being slightly worrying, for the first time in a long time I actually felt a sense of purpose, of belonging.

Snapping out of my reverie I realised that a police car with flashing lights was following me, signalling me to pull over. I couldn't think why, but I did so anyway.

'Hello mam. I have a letter for you.' The policeman said, walking up to my window. I reached out and took it 'What?' I asked, looking up from the envelope, only to find that the officer was already getting back into his car.

Confused, I opened up the letter and as I did something fell onto my lap. I picked up the small object whilst staring at the letter. 'Don't mess up.' And at the bottom was an intricately drawn letter M. M? I thought it was N?

I shook my head and looked at the object in my hand, it was an earpiece. I guessed that I was expected to wear it during my little chat at the book store.

Before I got out of the car I put in the earpiece. I had to admit, it wasn't especially comfy, but it wasn't easy to spot, especially as my hair covered it.

When I opened the door of the store I heard the familiar bell chime and I heard some movement at the back of the store. Reiji seemed to appear out of a pile of books and he smiled warmly at me.

'HI! Good to see you again Riley! My haven't you gotten older? You know, I was thinking maybe we could skip the formalities and just get down to work? That is, if that's alright with you?' Reiji rambled.

'Uh, sure.' I nodded. Reiji smiled and handed me a rather large pile of books. 'You know what to do!' he laughed awkwardly and wandered off.

'Ask him what hes been up to.' A voice demanded. I looked around and then realised that the sound was coming from my earpiece.

'So, what have you been up to?' I asked as I began replacing the books in my arms.

'Oh you know, this and that! Nothing interesting!' Reiji replied merrily.

'Ask him to be more specific.' The voice said.

'What kind of things though? Im sure it wasn't that bad.' I said.

'Well uhm… I've been reading a lot of comics, and doing a lot of work. That's why im so glad to have you here!' Reiji said.

'Mention bumping into him.' The voice said coolly.

'It's just that you seemed in such a rush the other day. You know, when we bumped into each other on the street corner.' I said.

Reiji laughed uncomfortably 'Oh! Then! Well I was late for-uh-a meeting.'

Somehow he didn't sound convincing. 'Okay.' I replied, and we continued replacing books in silence for a while. Then the voice in my ear sprang into action.

'Theres something not right. See if you can look in his desk for anything.' The voice said.

I nodded to myself and checked to see if Reiji was around but he had disappeared. I walked over to his desk by the till and began to look for anything suspicious. Mostly there were just comics and bills scattered about on it, so I began to search the drawers.

At first everything seemed perfectly ordinary, but then I noticed an open envelope with something sticking out of it. 'Go to 21 Sanford Street on the 11th of March at 5pm.' The letter was unsigned and the envelope had nothing written on it.

'Hello?' I whispered in the hope that the person on the other side of the earpiece could hear me.

'Yes.' The voice replied.

'I've found something. A letter.' I read It out and waited for a reply.

'Good, now put it back where you found it.' The voice said. I did as I was told and as I stood up I saw Reiji come from behind a bookcase.

'Riley? What are you doing?' he asked, looking nervous.

'Oh I was just checking to see if there were any more books to be put away.' I said calmly. I indicated a book to the right of me.

'Right. Well, I'd appreciate it if you'd stay away from there from now on, okay?' Reiji smiled nervously whilst leading me away 'If you need more to do there are some more books over there. I'll do these.' He nodded in the direction of some books piled on a table.

'Thanks.' I said and walked over to the books. What was going on with Reiji? Why was he acting so strangely? And what was with that letter?


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews guys, I love that warm sensation every time I get one! That and it reminds me to update… trying to do this weekly though! Here we go with another chapter!

Chapter 4

When I left the book shop sometime later and got into my car I was feeling somewhat drained. Working in close proximity to Reiji had been uncomfortable after finding the letter, I just didn't understand it. What did it mean?

As I was about turn out of the car park, the voice in my ear piped up again 'Turn left.' This was the wrong direction for my house but I complied anyway.

The voice continued to guide me for a while until I pulled up in the car park of an old looking apartment building. I exited my car looking up at the tall but derelict building, this day was getting weirder with every passing hour.

Cautiously, I walked into the building an began to look around. What had once been a reception area was now a mess of old furniture and dust. I couldn't see any signs of life so I called out 'Hello?'

In the corner of my eye I noticed movement in the hallway, so I went to investigate. The hall was long and dark and had an eerie feel to it. There was a red door a short way along, it was very out of place. It was vibrant and new looking, everything that this building was not.

I walked over and opened the door, half expecting it not to budge. I found myself in a dimly lit room filled with computer screens, desks and papers.

'Welcome.' Said I voice that I recognised. I looked to the source of the voice and there stood a boy, who looked to be the same age as me. He had curly white hair and stood with a hunch. His clothes were formal but creased and he was continuously playing with a strand of his hair.

This boy surely couldn't have been the one that was instructing me today, he was far too young to be highly ranked in the police.

'Uh-hi?' I said, taking a step forwards and surveying my surroundings.

'My name is Near.' Said the boy 'I must apologise for the state of the place, im afraid we came here on short notice. But rest assured, everything still functions as it should.'

I nodded, overwhelmed. There had to be at least 20 computer screens in here, and as far I could tell, there was only Near and I here. What was the need?

'About that letter…' Near began, walking over to a rather large pile of papers 'It's the address of where we found the body.'

I felt my eyes bulge. 'What!? What does that mean?' I blurted out.

'Well it could mean anything. And nothing at all. Either way, it's a factor that we mustn't forget.' Near said.

I nodded slowly, taking it all in. I let my eyes skim over the papers that near was now rifling through. They said things about times and places and people.

'The body was also found only 5 minutes after the letter specified.' Near said.

'Could this mean he was set up?' I couldn't help but ask. Near suddenly looked up at me with curious grey eyes.

'He could have been.' He said.

'Because it makes sense. The letter, his behaviour and his overall personality. He wouldn't do it. Hes not a murderer. Does he seem like he'd be capable to you?' I asked.

Near shook his head 'No. But you should never rule out a possibility.'

'I understand. Then I'll just have to make it a certainty.' I said. Near looked up and into my eyes, like he was searching for something. I looked back, transfixed by his secretive eyes.

A door opened with a loud creak which made me jump and look away. On the other side of the room I saw someone enter the room. They were wearing a big black coat and as they turned to face us I noticed that they had unusual clothes on. Their hair was blonde and they looked young too.

When the boy noticed me he smirked 'Well hello there!' he said patronisingly.

'Hello.' I replied emotionlessly.

'Ouch! A tad touchy are we?' the boy laughed.

'Play nice' Near said, picking up a figurine and dusting it off without even looking at the boy.

The blonde haired boy sighed exaggeratedly 'Fine! The names Mello. He said, then he extended his hand towards me. I looked at him, unsure, but shook it.

'Riley.' I told him. Mello shook his head and tutted.

'Not anymore. If you're going to be working with us you'll need a new name.' he smiled.

'No offense but I don't intend to work with you for long.' I said.

'Well, if what you just said turns out to be correct, then you just might be.'

"I'm sorry but I really don't understand why you need me, I shouldn't even be a suspect!" I snapped.

"You have a point. We no longer need you as a suspect, but as a co-worker." Near said calmly. I found his voice very soothing amidst the chaos.

"What?" I replied. What good could I do?

"Originally you were merely a suspect, but after a fair amount of research, we have concluded that you would be of help to us.' Near said.

I felt my eyes narrow in confusion and Mello smirked at my reaction.' "You see, you are highly intelligent, a creative thinker and good with people. The latter is something that I'm afraid we in this taskforce don't do so well with. That's where you come in." Near explained as though this was an infiltration mission.

"Not good with people?" I queried. Neither boys answered, instead choosing to look away from my questioning gaze. I had to admit, I had a knack for knowing how people work, and I had always come top in school. But surely they had others to help them?

"Are you a small force?" I asked. The room remained quiet for a moment as Near gathered four figurines on a table.

"Yes. We grouped recently." Near finally answered. I nodded.

"So am I still a suspect?" I asked. Near took hold of a figurine with fair hair and a distinctive fringe and moved it towards the group of four. Perhaps it was just my imagination but I thought it looked a little bit like me.

"Well it's a possibility I'm not willing to rule out just yet.' He said.

"What he MEANS is, not really. So welcome to the team… R-re-ru-ri…" Mello trailed off thoughtfully.

"Riley Edwards. Red." Near said calmly.

"Red. I like it. Welcome to the team Red!" Mello smiled deviously.

"Red? So is that a codename or something…?" I asked.

"Something like that." Mello said disinterestedly. He then turned and began to walk away. With his back to me, he waved half-heartedly. "See you round."

"Go to work tomorrow and see if you can find any more letters. Wear the earpiece again and I shall contact you when necessary." Near said, not even looking my way.

"Sure." I said, feeling more than slightly overwhelmed. I wasn't entirely sure what team I had just become a part of.

Deciding that there wasn't anything more to say, I turned to leave. "Be careful." Near said.

I nodded "I'll do my best. For the team." I smiled to myself and walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry I was gone for so long! Had a lot going on and kind of forgot this little project! Anyoo, heres a bit more!

Upon returning home I discovered a note on my pillow. "You need a dress" it said. For a moment I was dumbfounded, before realising that it must have been from Seth. Oh yeah! The work party! With all of the chaos I had almost forgotten.

A dress… I walked over to my wardrobe and began rooting through it. There had to be a dress in it somewhere. I was just about to give up when I noticed something at the very back. It looked promising so I pulled it out.

In my hand was quite possibly the only dress I owned. It had a black lacy corset that faded away into a pale grey netting that flared out and stopped just above the knee. My dad had bought it for my prom, but I never got to wear it because after the split mum wouldn't let me. She said it wasn't eye catching enough. I ended up spending prom night at a friend's.

Anyway, point is I never got to wear it. But it was starting to seem like I might get to. I smiled sadly. I didn't even know where my dad was anymore. I missed him.

I stuffed the dress back into the wardrobe before I could get any more sentimental. It would do. I just had to hope it still fit as I couldn't bring myself to try it on.

Arriving at work the next day, I couldn't have known what awaited me. Looking back I can't help but think I was nervous, But I couldn't have been.

It was an ordinary day, or as ordinary as it could be when I was wearing an earpiece connecting me to people I barely knew. " Can you hear me?' I whispered, even though the car park was empty.

"Yes." Near replied. His voice was like velvet. He sounded both young and old at the same time. "Don't raise suspicion."

I felt my eyebrows furrow. "Well I didn't intend to!" I said sarcastically. I heard a muffled sound that may well have been a laugh, and smiled to myself.

I pushed open the door to the book shop and was met with an unusual smell. I inhaled deeply and looked around curiously. It smelt metallic. "Reiji?" I called out. No reply.

The shop looked the same as always. Dusty books were strewn all over the place, it looked more like a cemetery for books than an adoption centre.

I decided to check the back room, and was horrified by what I saw.

Reiji was lay on the floor, his lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. Blood was everywhere. Spilling out of his chest and creating a red pool on the floor. The walls were spattered with it, it made a trail on the floor to the body, it was like a scene out of a slasher movie.

I knew I was supposed to check for a pulse, but looking at his pale white skin and unblinking eyes I knew that it was pointless. "Near…" I whispered shakily.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Reiji's dead." I breathed, finally feeling it sink in. I was staring at a corpse.

"Okay we'll be right there. Have you checked for a pulse?' Near said calmly as ever.

"I don't think-" I began, but I heard noise back in the shop and span round. "Who's there?" I yelled, feeling surprisingly calm despite my rapidly beating heart.

I saw someone appear from behind a shelf and sprint towards the door. "Stop!" I yelled, though I don't know why I thought it would help.

I ran after them but I wasn't fast enough. I looked around but could see no signs of movement. "Near, someone just fled the scene." I said. I felt like I was in a movie. Was I supposed to be enjoying this so much?

I continued looking around until a familiar black car pulled up. Three people got out, two I recognised as Mello and Near, the third I didn't. "Hey there!" he waved my way with a smile.

The third man had red-brown hair and wore a pair of white goggle like glasses. He looked relaxed and smiled casually as he walked over to me. "I'm Matt. Welcome to the team you poor sod!" he laughed.

"Where's the body?" Near asked, putting on a pair of gloves.

"In the backroom. I'll show you but it's a bit of a mess." I replied. I noticed that I sounded pretty calm and hoped that it seemed that way to the others.

"I hate to say it but we're used to a bit of mess." Matt sighed as he began walking towards the door. We all filed in and I showed them to the backroom.

"You actually worked here?" Mello asked disbelievingly whilst looking around. This caught me off guard. What was he doing? There's a body in the next room.

"Yeah…" I trailed off, not quite sure what to say.

"This place is a mess. I wouldn't buy a book from here." He said. I stared at him for a moment before choosing to ignore him.

I walked over to the backroom slowly, and found Near crouched down beside the body looking like he was going to touch it.

"Shouldn't we wait for the police?" I asked.

Matt laughed. "We ARE the police Red!" Red. It was weird being called it. "We'll do what we gotta first, then call in the dogs.'

"Right." I nodded. I watched as Near checked over the body meticulously. He looked like he was concentrating hard, whilst I could hear Mello drifting about in the shop behind me.

"Several stab wounds. I estimate 5. All concentrated in the chest area. We can assume that it was an ordinary kitchen knife." Near finally announced.

"I'm pretty sure the man I saw running wasn't holding anything. If it was a big knife then I'd have seen it right?" I said.

"Most likely. We need to search the area for the weapon." Near said, standing.

"Aye aye boss!" Matt saluted and walked back into the shop.

"Do you think this one was a set up too?" I asker Near now that we were alone.

"It's a possibility." He said.


End file.
